This is the way that our mornings usually start whether it be a weekday or the weekend. It’s 5:55 am and everyone is sleeping soundly in their respective places – Simon and Shelly in their crates on the opposite side of the bedroom, and Scarlett on the bed, tucked neatly in that space just above the back of my knees and along my hamstrings. Anyone else see the blatant case of favoritism? In five minutes the alarm would go off but we never make it that far. Scarlett has this internal clock that snaps her awake just before 6:00 am. So our first five minutes of the day begin with a tap to the head by the thirsty grey-faced Shih-tzu.

I can barely move my legs because they were bent all night long but I drag myself out of bed, starting a chain reaction that can’t be stopped. Simon inevitably hears me moving around and up pops his head. He knows it’s time for breakfast. In his excitement, he makes squeaking noises and hops up and down rattling his cage. I fumble with the latch on the his crate door as my eyes aren’t even open yet. In all the commotion, Shelly surely wakes up and with a huge stretch, her nails slide along the plastic bottom of her kennel. The scraping sound is amplified by the darkness of the morning. After prying her door open, she emerges with yet another big stretch and then proceeds to bolt toward the bed. She lands on the sheets, sticks a cold, wet nose on Judy’s cheek just to make sure it is her, makes a quick turn and is back down again. She makes a bee-line for the bedroom door, knocking over Simon in the process. After all, everything is a race, isn’t it?

We finally make it to the back door and I open it as the cockers scramble to be the first one out and I patiently wait for Scarlett to finish drinking her water before she meanders to me and I give her a little nudge out the door.

Somehow, I’ve managed to stay half asleep throughout our morning ritual and I stumble back into bed just in time for the alarm to go off at 6 o’clock.

Technorati Tags: morning, TSheets.com, contest, ipod

So I have to mention that this post is an entry in a contest sponsored by TSheets.com. The winner gets a free ipod! Thanks TSheets

7 Comments »

Please join us and our furry four legged friends from around the blogging world in celebrating “Stuffy Appreciation Day“. Stuffies have long been under appreciated and it’s time to give proper recognition to all the plush and squeaky birds, monkeys, pigs, snowmen, snakes, balls, shoes, christmas trees, bones, etc. that make our days worth getting up for in the morning. So in honor of this glorious day, we’d like to introduce you to a couple of our favorite stuffies that are no longer with us. These particular favorites were shared by all of the FleasGang, but Shelly seems to be the only one that found joy in de-stuffing them.

The Christmas tree was her ultimate favorite and lasted for about a year. Then she figured out that if she made a hole in it, she could get the squeaky out. That was the end of peaceful playing with all present and future stuffies. New last about 2 minutes before their poor little empty bodies are discarded and the bright white innards scattered about the living room.

So here’s to you, stuffies from around the world. And thank you for keeping pooches happy and entertained whether it be for nano seconds or for years – depending on whos’s household you happen to live.

Technorati Tags: stuffy, toys, dog toys

6 Comments »

I noticed that other doggies were taking the dogster celebrity quiz and since I had a few minutes to kill, we too took the test. What do you think of the kids’ results? At least no doggie was Brittney

This is Simon’s results. Nothing out of the ordinary here. Just looking at him one sees that he has mega-star potential:

Will Smith – Leading Man

A fresh prince in the pursuit of happiness, Simon is megastar Will Smith!
Putting the jazz back in jazzy, Simon is always moving and grooving to the beat of his own internal drum. Not one to settle for second best, Simon only takes on projects that are sure to draw attention and improve his pawpularity in the pack. Simon’s broad appeal across breed, age and gender lines means that his actions often lead to his being named best in show. Smooth, suave and debonair… he’s the perfect pet to take home to Mommy. Not lacking in the looks department, Simon‘s toothy grin would send even the most furrocious group of alien invaders spinning helplessly back into space.

Scarlett surprised us all with this. We never knew she was so business minded:

Oprah – The Host with the Most

When Scarlett barks, people listen. Yes, indeed, Scarlett is Oprah Winfrey. A true rags-to-riches story, Scarlett is a comeback pet who has not only survived a troubled start, but uses her success to lend a helping paw to others. Well-rounded and hard-working, Scarlett has re-written the rules of stardom and continues to spread her influence throughout the animal kingdom. Still a down-home country girl, Scarlett’s one weakness is the chow that she knows from her youth, and she’s not afraid to gobble up a little gravy every now and then. Scarlett manages to keep her positive reputation intact, despite being hounded by the press and her thousands of diehard fans everywhere she goes. Scarlett is smart, creative and innovative and has used these qualities to build up an empire the likes of which have never before been seen.

And last but not least, Shelly. Talk about a shocker! But it fits her :-):

Jennifer Lopez – Dressed to Kill

Una bomba inteligente autentica, Shelly is super-fly girl Jennifer Lopez!

Curvaceous and sassy and always more than willing to pawticipate with a few moves on the dance floor, Shelly moves and grooves with the best of them. But that doesn’t mean it’s all fun and salsa for Shelly—discipline and structure are key ingredients that have helped to put Shelly on a fur-lined fast track. Family is of utmost importance for Shelly , and she takes care of her brothers and sisters with the same dedication that she gives her little ‘uns. To see and to be seen are significant parts of Shelly’s daily activities, and the real-life Cleopetra makes her rounds with confidence and flair, always preferring to hang with the more bold and beautiful members of the pack.

Technorati Tags: dogster, quiz, game, Will Smith, Oprah, J Lo

4 Comments »

We received some sad news last week that our new friend, Cooper the poodle passed away. We were just starting to get to know him and we couldn’t wait to hear about all his cool stories that he alluded to at the end of his posts. So what a surprise it was, when we went outside to go potty and lo and behold who was standing guard at one of our trees? That’s right. It was Cooper!! So far he hasn’t said much but he’s doing a great job of keeping ax wielding men away our beloved Plumb tree.

When you get a chance, visit his site and meet his new little brother, Levi. He looks like he’s gonna have lots of neat stories, too

6 Comments »

Spring came a little early this year, jump starting plant-life asleep from the winter. Our Azaleas were particularly greening up and buds were popping up all over it. I have had to mow the grass 4 times already this year!

Then we had a freak frost last week. The azalea that was so close to being covered in buds has lost all its leaves on one side and the leaves that are left, are burned on the tips. And our yard is a nice dead brown color.

Luckily, we had enough sense to cover our potted plants before the frost, so not all was lost. Judy has assured me that our affected plants will make a full recovery. It will just set them back a few weeks. We’ll see how that goes

Here are a couple of plants that made it through the freeze.

Technorati Tags: flowers, frost, azalea

9 Comments »

The weather was so beautiful over the weekend so we spent the day outside doing yard work. When we finished for the day, we cleaned ourselves of the dirt and grime that comes along with said yard work and settled down to relax for the rest of the evening. Unfortunately, somedoggy had a bad case of “I want to play!” and wouldn’t lay down with the rest of us. So I took her back outside along with her favorite tennis ball to hopefully get some of that pent-up energy out of her. It didn’t turn out quite the way I pictured.

Here is a short video of what it is like to be an almost 4 year old puppy with the attention span of a jelly bean.

Technorati Tags: video, fetch, youtube, dog

6 Comments »